The Legislature sent to Governor Healey its FY 2024 closeout bill which includes a $502 million transfer from the state’s Rainy Day Fund to cover the FY2024 deficit. The Legislature rejected a series of proposals to add new program funding, including additional revenue for nursing facility care, to the closeout budget as its focus was on eliminating the deficit.
The legislation also includes a provision that would further delay the implementation of the notice and disclosure requirements contained in the state’s “Patient Billing Transparency Law” from January 1, 2025 to January 1, 2027. The section of the law was originally effective on January 1, 2022 and then extended to January 1, 2025 via previous legislation adopted in 2022. Originally enacted in 2021, the disclosure and notice requirements of the ‘Patient Billing Transparency’ law apply to health care facilities, clinics, practitioners and other providers, including skilled nursing facilities. Under the law, health care providers are required to notify patients about charges and payments for proposed admissions, procedures, services, and referrals that are specific to the patient’s insurance carrier. The Governor has ten days to take action on the legislation.